The present invention relates generally to storage holders for hand held implements and small objects. More specifically, a resilient multiple pin holder for accessibly retaining hand-held implements and small objects vertically, horizontally or at an angle, has holes to isolate and retain the tip of the implements, retains implements in the orientation in which they are inserted, can accommodate different sized implements, has structure which aids guidance of the implement into the holder, and is easily cleaned.
When an implement such as a pen, being of sufficient weight, is placed directly into a storage container, such as a commonly used pencil holder, the ball in the tip of the pen is depressed causing the pen to leak ink. The ink dries in the tip of the pen or on the ball of the pen causing the pen to skip rendering it useless. Ink may also leak from defective pens. Ink collects in the bottom of the pencil holder and mixes with dust contaminating the pencil holder. Implement tips freely move around in the pencil holder and become contaminated with ink and dust. When the need arises, an implement such as a pen or a pencil is removed from the pencil holder. With its tip contaminated with ink and dust, ink blobs are then transferred to the intended work surface thus causing smears and smudges. Presently materials such as paper towel and napkins are placed in the bottom of containers such as cups, cans or specifically manufactured pen and pencil holders to absorb leaking fluids from implements such as pens. This helps but does not eliminate the problems.
Another common problem in present implement storage containers is the damaging impact to the tip of implements such as pens and pencils when they are dropped onto hard surfaces such as the inside bottom of the storage containers.
The design and physical properties of the present invention prove to be beneficial in such a way that they eliminate the damaging impact that occurs to the tip of an implement such as a pen or a pencil when the implement is dropped onto a hard surface, such as into a storage container manufactured of materials such as hard plastic, metal, glass, ceramic or like. The present invention isolates and suspends the tips of implements by holding and supporting the implements vertically without the use of a storage container, eliminating pressure on pen tips, eliminating pencil tip breakage and eliminating ink build up on pen and pencil tips which can cause ink smudges on writing surfaces or documents and eliminates cross contamination of liquid ink or water thin ink pens. The present invention eliminates the problems described herein and greatly reduces overall costs such as damaged or destroyed documents and damaged expensive pens.
Mats having a plurality of vertically projecting pins have been used for many years to store small objects. U.S. Pat. No. 1,931,398 to Smith, Oct. 17, 1933, disclosed a coin mat which was thin and had relatively small pins which made it easier to pick coins off of the mat. The mat was also designed to avoid the mat slipping on a counter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,504 to Riley, Apr. 11, 2000, disclosed a silicone mat with widely spaced pins on a mesh backing for use with a sterilization tray. U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,561 to Frieze et al., Jun. 16, 1998, disclosed a silicone mat with raised ribs on the bottom surface of the mat and a series of fingers or projections on the top surface, with holes perforating the mat for use in a sterilization tray. The fingers or pins in the Riley and Frieze Patents are small and insubstantial, with a uniform profile, and intended only to support medical instruments in place horizontally during the sterilization process.
Pin mats have been used extensively in sterilization trays for supporting surgical tools. U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,648 to Allen, Apr. 18, 1995, disclosed a tray and mat combination for the sterilization of medical instruments having a series of raised ribs and widely spaced pins to retain medical instruments placed on their sides on the mat. A relatively low number of holes compared to pins were formed in the silicone mat to allow the passage of sterilants.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,862 B1 to Acquaviva et al., Mar. 20, 2001, disclosed a pen holder molded in foam having six tapering cavities to engage and hold upright pens and other writing implements. The cavities are spaced a considerable distance apart and the top surface of the holder is reasonably flat providing no guidance for the implement tip into the cavity. The cavities have closed bottoms resulting in difficult cleaning practices and the pooling of ink from the leaking writing implements.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,092,156 to Mathis, Apr. 7, 1914, disclosed a pencil holder having a top perforated surface which pencil tips pass through and a bottom perforated disinfecting tablet or pad through which pencil tips project. A considerable amount of space between the top surface of the holder and the top surface of the pad in conjunction with the spaces between the holes and the reasonably flat top surface of the pad provide no guidance of the pencil tip into a hole.
Apparatuses for holding small implements vertically have included empty cups, specific containers and foam blocks. Foam blocks having small holes have been used to retain hand held implements such as screwdrivers, pens and pencils. Conventional cup type holders have the disadvantage of the weight of the pen depressing the ball in the tip causing ink to leak into the holder. Depression of the ball or roller can also cause ink to dry on parts of the ball or roller causing the pen to skip when in use. The tips of pencils are easily broken off in conventional holders.
An implement holder is required which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a resilient holder that can support implements in the orientation in which they are inserted, can accommodate different sized implements, has structure which aids guidance of the implement into the holder, has holes to isolate the tip of the implements and is easily cleaned.